An interesting article in l’Osservatore Romano today, calling for a rediscovery of “a fresh, more creative language capable of communicating the Gospel. A language that is more affective and poetic than the prevailing prose of a one-dimensional technology. A language that taps the aesthetic dimension of experience, whether through music, art or literature.” That author mentions draws on philosopher Charles Taylor, and mentions two great Catholic poets who could serve as an inspiration for this new language of the new evangelisation. One of these is English poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins. As a student of English literature, I can only agree that Hopkins’ language is indeed “integral and evocative”. He evokes the grandeur and beauty of God through his poetry, and doesn’t shy away from being both challenging and beautiful.
I have shared Hopkins’ poetry in this blog before, and I think it’s a fun exercise to delve into some more of his works in the future, to not only marvel at the poetry, but also to understand his religious sense and understanding of God and His creation. Maybe that will help us in turn, to look at our own faith and relationship with God with new eyes.
So, as we come closer to the Year of Faith, this blog will feature some poetry.
In Caelo et in Terra 